I'm in the Orlando area this weekend. I've spent a delightful few days surrounded by and laughing with loved ones and am now soaking in a few hours completely to myself in my favorite coffee shop in Kissimmee. Spending the afternoon in the town where I lived for the majority of my married life is a bittersweet feeling. So much has changed that I barely recognize the street corners. At the same time, no amount of real estate development can strip the landmarks etched into my memory of the life I lived here. While stopped at a light in front of Old Town, I felt an unfamiliar twinge in my heart. I know that place well because for a few years it was the source of one of my few joys. In the darkest days of my marriage I would drive out to Old Town, buy some tickets, and ride the Scrambler. As I was thrown from side to side in the carriage, lights strobing around my eyes, I would laugh. No matter how crappy I felt inside, I could laugh sitting there. So I would ride as much as possib...

It took me several years to finally admit it, but I struggle with depression from time to time. This was a frightening realization for me because I didn't quite understand the difference between my mother's bipolar cycles of depression and the everyday, run-of-the-mill variety. In fact, depression is considered the "common cold" of psychology/psychiatry. No one is completely immune to it, but some of us are more susceptible than others. I can't say that I've figured out the perfect solution yet. Just this morning I had one of those "just-want-to-crawl-under-the-covers-and-stay-in-bed-all-day" feelings wash over me with the first rays of the sun. Fortunately, I suspected this was coming, and last night I tool some 5-HTP before I went to bed. Here's my little pitch for this wonder product. 5-HTP helps balance the seratonin in your brain. When seratonin gets too low (like with depression), you don't sleep well. If you suffer from depression, you...